Dr. Stephen Liggett, Senior Associate Vice President for Research for USF Health, steps down from his leadership role this month after 13 years helping to transform USF Health into a tier-one research center. From doubling NIH funding to pioneering pharmacogenomics research, Dr. Liggett's leadership helped shaped the research culture that continues to attract top scientists.

A USF-developed smartphone app could help patients monitor glaucoma from home, making it easier to detect vision changes before permanent sight loss occurs. Currently in the research stage, Ayyala’s goal is to replicate the gold-standard Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer found in clinics. Ayyala hopes the technology could transform the test that typically costs $30,000 in equipment into an at-home experience for about $42. After the patient performs the five-minute test per eye, results are securel

The University of South Florida is proud to announce the recipients of its Spring 2026 internal grant awards, reflecting a continued commitment to advancing research, scholarship and creative activity across the university. Collectively, these programs represent a $1.7 million investment supporting 60 principal investigators across 12 colleges, strengthening USF’s research enterprise at every stage from early-career investigators to internationally recognized scholars.